Reviews by tyboxr:

spices such as coriander, clove with a dash of yeast.aromatics from the candy sugars dominated by the spices and sweet sugars. Beneath the yeast creates some aroma of apples with some orange peal hidden in the background.

alcohol is present, but far from overbearing. The interplay of the fruit and spices iseems to change with each sip

Not a real impressive pour here kind of hazy deep orange with almost no head to speak of,the aroma is somewhat winey and spicey with some light apple notes.Tjhid one hefty triple here very rich tasting some deep wine noted and very yeasty tasting with some sharp spiciness.One of the harshest triples I hav had in quite awhile although thats not a total bad thing. (364 characters)

A golden amber pour with a medium but rich white head. The nose is smei-sweet with bubblegum hints and a noticeable yest quality. Light fruit notes as well. The taste is well balance with once again the bubblegum sweetness and light fruit notes....did i detect a pinch of coconut?...anyway, the taste reminds me somewhat of Leffe Blond, based on memory. The mouthfeel is very smooth and full. Lots of lively bubbles the whole way through with a dry-ish finish. An easy drinker but not overly complex or fullfilling. (515 characters)

Presentation: 330 ml bottle with freshness date on the label (best before end of 2010).

Appearance: Pours a brownish amber color with a lightly yellow shaded 1 cm head that settles after a while but leaves some decent lacings. First pour is clear, but a rather aggressive second pour with more or less all of the yeast going into the glass makes the beer rather cloudy.

Smell: Lots of fruity aromas - most are on the sweet side, but some are slightly tart. Grainy malts, a general candy-like smell and some light phenols. The alcohol lurks in the background.

Taste: Resembles to a large extent the smell. Plenty of vinous fruits (ripe apples, redcurrants), white bread, caramel malts, a touch of honey, some spices, candy and restrained yeast. It goes a little tart in the middle. A rather noticeable taste of alcohol. The gently bitter finish contains more malt, a taste of white pepper, a twang from the alcohol, and leaves a slightly dry sensation in the mouth. I must say, although the alcohol isn't completely overpowering, it's still rather prominent and sometimes overshadows the other flavors.

Drinkability: This is a good beer, but not great, and considering the expectations that one generally have on Trappist beers, I keep finding myself thinking that it's just ok. It is surprisingly restrained for a Belgian Tripel, and not as complex as many other comparable Trappists. It's simply just not that interesting. Also, considering it's generally restrained character, it tastes slightly to much of alcohol. I'm not saying that it gets boozy - it just lacks some big flavors to back up the alcohol. However, in the end it is still a good tasting beer and I would like especially like to mention the composition of the sweeter components in it since I found them very pleasant. (1,939 characters)

T - Alcohol is pronounced; it's almost astringent and a tad sour. Lightly toasted malts, caramel, toffee notes with a hint of butterscotch as it warms. There's also a touch of spice in the background. Given how much I enjoyed the nose of this, the taste is a letdown.

M - Noticeably thinner than expected. Not much carbonation given the dense head. Decent structure, but not much body or finish.

O - Perhaps this bottle is off, but not so much that it's clear it is, especially since this is my first bottle from this brewery. The alcohol is too forward and disconnected, so it gets in the way of enjoying the flavors. There are definitely much better Trappist tripels. I might give this one another try should I run across it on tap, but it's not a selection I'll seek out. (1,064 characters)

Taste: Smooth mouth feel and a crisp carbonation that hold together its medium build. Mild phenolic (peppery and herbal) but not as distinctive as other tripels, raw characters of wild honey and grape like fruity yeast are marks for the complex flavours. Hops are indistinct though still help to balance, alcohol is well formed and not interfering to throw things out of kilter. As the alcohol warms a mild twang from the earthy yeast and the beer dries more and more towards the finish.

Notes: More of a laid back tripel resting at 8% abv and with a milder character than others, still a very respectable brew. A perfect accompaniment with a goat cheese spread and whole wheat crackers. (1,056 characters)

Pours a slightly hazed, bright apricot body with a small offwhite head that quickly falls into a film and collar. Very minimal lace.
Aroma is subdued, with coriander and a hint of tropical fruits like pineapple and mango.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied with low carbonation.
Taste begins with tropical fruit and rock candy sweetness. Earthy yeast kicks in quite early and provides a prominent dryness that stays to the finish. Spices are subdued, with a note of coriander.
Basically an average tripel, but solid for style. I preferred their dubbel, in terms of overall drinkability and character. (597 characters)

The 11.2 ouncer I tried said "Koningshoevan Tripel", the label is otherwise identical to the one shown in the photo, maybe some new labeling going on...anyway this tasty treat poured an amber cloudy color, white head, a fair amount of yeasty sediment in the bottle. Leaves not much lace, nose is nutty and yeasty. Rounded body, nice clove notes,spicy and and more nutty flavors. Pleasant tripel, went well with a few nuts and some bread and cheese. (448 characters)

La Trappe - a beer that only recently arrived in my part of the world, but based on the label and number of places it appeared in at once, it must be a fairly commercial brewery by Trappist standards. Best before end 02-2009.

Appearance: Pours a beautiful warm amber-copper colour, reasonably clear with a delicate beige head. This gets such a high score for appearance because it was both what I expect from a good Tripel as well as exceeding my expectations for this beer. And it was just what I wanted, too!

Smell: There's something funky about this - I hope it's not my glass, I just washed that. I noticed something strange about the bottle smell too. I hope it was just something crusty on the lip of the bottle or something, i.e. it won't affect the other three of the four-pack! As I swirl it around I get the tripel aromas I was looking for. Candied sugar, honey, rich malt, maybe even pear. Still, this bottle smells funny so it can't score too highly.

Taste: Not affected too adversely by the smells. At the same time, not as complex as I would have liked. A nice honeycomb/candied sugar effect on the palate, working its way into the nostrils even! The ester must have a pretty long hydrocarbon tail. Wa-hay. Pungent sour apple flavours on the tip of the tongue and strangely, around my gums. Maybe that's the carbonation or something, but it works. Overall I'm pretty impressed, but that lingering solvent-like aroma is spoiling things just a bit. (By the way, there's no soap or anything in my glass. I rinsed it a billion times with hot water. It's something about the bottle - hopefully it'll improve by the next one - if so, I'll edit and update at the end of the review).

Mouthfeel: A little watery - would have liked it a bit more viscous and honey-like to add to the Tripel mystique.

Drinkability: Very easy to drink. I only just looked at the 8% abv now, I knew it would be kinda strong, but the 8% is very deceptive. It's a friendly beer, makes you want to knock it back and grab another one. This would be a fun few beers to bring to a party to get that baby started. In short, it goes down great.

Overall: Pretty complex, pity about this one bottle - I'm sure it can't have that weird smell to every bottle. I like it - definitely not the best (not many Tripels, or beers for that matter, can improve on Westmalle Tripel) but a strong contender and a bargain for the price. For the price of two Westmalles, you can get four of these... Guess it depends on how big a celebration it is - and what you're celebrating!

(P.S. It was just the bottle. The next bottle I had didn't have the strange skunky smell, so I would have given it 4.0. I am pleased, because S = 3.5 was generous for the one reviewed above.) (2,751 characters)

If you're looking for a solid tripel, look no further. (One benefit of the LCBO is that this brew is fairly cheap ($6.45 for the bomber), so it's a good brew to try.) There are other nicer, more complex tripels to be had out there, Belgian, Canadian, American or otherwise, but this is no slouch. Another fine trappist ale. (833 characters)

Poured a murky , brownish orange , with a small layer of whitish foam for a head. The aroma is yeasty , a bit sweet with fruity notes , slight banana and citrus/ pineapple , even a hint at coconut oil. The taste is a fresh and yeasty mix of sweet malts , mild fruity flavor , some tartness near the powdery dry finish. Hops flavors balance the sweet malt with a slight spicyness. Also just a little bit of phenolic touch. A lightly carbonated mouthfeel , dry finish. I found it to be quite drinkable , just a little less complex than alot of tripels that iv'e had. The nose however was quite complex imo. Worth a try. (617 characters)

The nose is big fruit, some earthiness, and ripe large pitted fruit over dark sugars. the beer pours copper tinted amber with a 2” off-white moussey foam cap that slowly recedes but rouses easily and produces Belgian window lace. Big fruit flavors such as peach, grape and a hint of sherry supported by a light earthiness drive the palate, this is a yeast driven beer with balance towards the yeast driven fruit flavors more than the malt. The malt comes across like a light biscuit one might spread with a fruity marmalade with a light bitterness from the fruit rind. It shows up as a very light caramel in the aftertaste. In this very creamy beer the carbonation is a little above average and the body is just a hair below. (730 characters)

Came caged and cork in a brown 750ml bottle. Pured a deep copper with a cranberry hue and a creamy 2 finger head, dissipating slowly, leaving considerable lacing. A caldera of bubbles rose through the center for almost the entire first pour, into a Delirium Tremens tulip.

The taste consists of subtel malts and yeast, with strong fruit overtones--dominated by apple and pear, and a note caramel. The hops remain suggestively in the back, no trace of bitterness. Fruit dominates, and the flavor is almost all but devoid of spice.

The mouth is light--considerably lightweight comapred to many other Tripels-- and lively: acidic on the front palate, with the heavy but enjoyable fruit finish.

The drinability is high. Multiple bottles could easily be consumed in a sitting. A very enjoyble ale overall from the Dutch. (946 characters)